Cattle prices recover, raising hopes for livestock farmers

Cattle farming in Vinh Long faces a double challenge: selling prices remain unstable, while feed and input costs continue to rise. As a result, both the number of farming households and the total cattle herd have continued to decline.

Vinh Long currently has 460,849 cattle, down 0.76% compared to the same period last year. In addition to rising input costs, most farmers still operate on a small scale, have not widely adopted advanced farming techniques, and lack supply-chain linkages that could help reduce production costs. Furthermore, many grass-growing areas have been converted to higher-value perennial crops, limiting opportunities for herd expansion.

Despite these challenges, cattle farming is still considered less risky than many other livestock sectors because animal diseases are generally under control. Common diseases such as salmonellosis, hemorrhagic septicemia, and lumpy skin disease are being closely monitored and promptly managed by veterinary authorities and farmers, preventing major outbreaks. Many localities have maintained their herds by securing fresh forage supplies, utilizing spare labor, and reducing production costs.

Areas in Vinh Long with cattle populations exceeding 1,400 head include Tan Xuan, My Chanh Hoa, Ba Tri, An Ngai Trung, Tan Thuy, Tan An, and Tap Son. Live cattle prices in May 2026 ranged from VND 70,000-120,000/kg depending on quality and weight, while breeding cattle were commonly sold at VND 140,000-150,000/kg.

Amid market fluctuations, the My Chanh Agricultural Cooperative has become an important support system for around 50 member households through its production-linkage model. The cooperative currently maintains a herd of more than 500 cattle, developing both breeding and beef cattle. Technical support, genetic resource sharing, and organized value chain production have helped improve product quality and strengthen resilience to rising input costs.

Mr. Tra Tan Thanh, Director of My Chanh Agricultural Cooperative, said feed prices have increased by about 10%, from around VND 200,000 to VND 220,000/bag of mixed feed. Farmers are therefore maximizing the use of locally available forage to reduce expenses.

However, rising input costs have not completely eliminated optimism among farmers, as selling prices have recently started to improve due to reduced supply.

At My Chanh Agricultural Cooperative, breeding cattle prices have risen significantly, increasing by VND 5-10 million per animal. Cattle aged 6-8 months are now priced at VND 28-30 million/head, compared with VND 20-22 million previously. Live beef cattle prices have also increased from around VND 100,000-105,000/kg to VND 120,000-125,000/kg. Nevertheless, these gains are insufficient to encourage herd expansion, as production costs remain high.

Dairy farming in Vinh Long faces similar difficulties. The province currently has 1,276 dairy cattle, down 5.55% year-on-year. The main reasons are rising production costs, long production cycles, and only modest increases in milk prices, which have limited profitability. Raw milk prices currently stand at around VND 16,700/kg, up approximately VND 200/kg from previous levels.

According to Mr Tran Van Cuong of the My Hung Dairy Cattle Cooperative Group in Quoi Dien Commune, the number of dairy-farming households in the area has fallen from nine to four, with only a few remaining profitable. His family maintains a herd of about 30 cattle, including 13 lactating cows producing approximately 140 liters of milk/day. Thanks to good farming techniques, the family still earns a net income of VND 500,000-700,000/day after expenses, excluding additional income from calf and beef cattle sales.

“Only two households here are operating efficiently enough to expand their herds, while the other two are merely maintaining production because profitability is low,” Mr Cuong said.

To sustain dairy production, Vinh Long’s agricultural sector plans to gradually shift from scattered small-scale farming toward concentrated production models, develop high-tech livestock farms, improve breeding quality, secure feed supplies, strengthen disease prevention measures, and enhance linkages with dairy processing companies to improve production efficiency and stabilize market outlets for farmers.

$1 = VND 26,407 - Source: Vietcombank.